A wonderful place. Most travellers decide to either day-trip or spend only a couple of days here. We have decided to spend about 10 days – away from the big city and into the clean fresh mountain air. It was quite a mission getting here so we’re in no hurry to return to Baku until the race! Interestingly on the 7 hour bus ride we drove through abject poverty the entire way, the landscape is barren, sparsely populated with a few factories belching out smoke and fewer people living in what looked like sub par conditions. It seems all the money from oil only gets as far as Baku. Once we arrive in Sheki it is a bit like an oasis – up in the snow capped mountains away from the ravaged plains and with a fairly large population of 60k.
The water is safe to drink and has that freezing cold and wonderful fresh taste that can only be found in mountain regions. This place is really beautiful surrounded by mountains and some interesting and very old buildings and architecture. Ancient, European and Soviet-era all share these streets. Sheki was once part of the Silk Road and has a long history dating back many thousands of years. Most interesting is the notion that the Norse god Odin was actually a person who led his people from this area to Scandinavia to escape the Romans!! It all happened here! Please enjoy the photos.
Rural dwellings amidst factories
The oilfields remind us of Azerbaijan’s wealth, in stark contrast to the poverty stricken rural areas.
The evidence of soil salinisation of vast areas of farmlandwhich goes on for miles.
The old town of Sheki – the river bed divides the town into two parts.
Sheki is famous for it’s sweets and silk.Halva and baclava recipes are handed down within familiesand are never shared.
Beautiful silks with traditional printing on them. Sheki was the silk capital for centuries and today still produces high quality silk to the rest of the world. The factory uses traditional methods of hand stamping and dying the silk resulting in beautiful, artisan original and authentic items such as shawls, scarves and carpets.
The original doors!
The Karavserai – a place that used to house the merchants on the Silk Road. Still open we will be staying here next week!
The summer palace of the Khans. The glass for the windows came from Venice and are decorated as shebeke.Shebeke is an ancient glass art form Sheki and still used today by Azerbaijani folk craftsmen from small wooden parts without glue and nails.
Todaythis is a UNESCO heritage site and theused as museums, art gallery and an arts centre for local artists using traditional methods in their work.
The old fort, the mosque and subsequent church and Khan’s summer palace are all within these walls.
The three Saints church. Sadly not used and a little run-down.
Our transport up to the Kish church. Crowded and very bumpy – standing room only! But only cost 30 cents!
Gas reticulation – Azerbaijan style!!
Kis, high up in the mountains, a small town/that has the Albanian Church. This was built in 1st Century but excavation below the church has revealed crypts and evidence of a pagan site from 3000 years BC. Care has been taken in labelling and giving an historical explanation in English inside the church, however, it is still open to the elements and some of the artifacts are thousands of years old and not very well protected at all. We were grateful to be able to see it but saddened at the lack of protectionfor these ancient artefacts.
Our guesthouse and provider of breakfasts!
Our wonderful hosts were bemused at our tiny travelling backgammon set and insist we use their decent size one! SOO much easier on our old eyes!
Our host who can’t help himself get involved in our evening backgammon games – he has no English yet we have such a laugh
Thanks for following the blog Lianneke. Yes we are going to places we never thought we would. Azerbaijan is great – especially in the hill town of Sheki. Really loving it here.
Great to see the backgammon set 😀
We have a wee travelling set but our host was horrified at the size of it and insisted we use his whilst we stay here 🙂
You are truly going to the most amazing places! I am loving reading your news. Thanks for your great stories.
Thanks for following the blog Lianneke. Yes we are going to places we never thought we would. Azerbaijan is great – especially in the hill town of Sheki. Really loving it here.
So many exquisite places! Feast for the eyes, and that baklava! Oh my heart!